Backup Washington State running back Jouvensly Bazil enters NCAA transfer portal

PULLMAN – Running back Jouvensly Bazil, who spent four seasons serving on Washington State’s scout team, announced Monday via Twitter that he has entered the NCAA’s transfer portal.

Bazil, who has two seasons of eligibility remaining, made nine appearances at WSU and recorded one carry. He did not see the field this year, but stuck it out until the regular season ended.

Bazil played in one game last season, worked as a special-teamer in 2020 and saw action on kickoffs in four games during the 2019 season. He logged his lone rushing attempt – a 6-yard loss – in the second quarter of WSU’s loss to Oregon in 2020.

A three-star prospect and the No. 61 prep tailback in the country as a senior in 2018, according to ESPN, Bazil finished his career at Golden Gate High (Naples, Florida) with 3,690 yards and 34 touchdowns. He chose the Cougars over offers from Nebraska and Cincinnati and became one of the team’s highest-rated signees of the 2019 recruiting class, but his WSU career never got off the ground.

He dealt with injuries over the past two years and couldn’t climb the depth chart. Bazil was sidelined for about half of the 2022 preseason and fell behind four other backup running backs – freshmen Jaylen Jenkins, Dylan Paine, Kannon Katzer and Djouvensky Schlenbaker.

“(Bazil’s) character is above reproach,” WSU running backs coach Mark Atuaia tweeted of Bazil’s decision to transfer. “He was informed early about his football future at WSU and still chose to practice hard every day with positivity which helped our team tremendously.”

Katzer, a Spokane native, entered the transfer portal Oct. 20.